Estimates, not exact prices
Every cost figure on this site is an estimate drawn from publicly available sources. Real costs vary enormously by neighborhood, season, household size, timing, and personal choices. A number that reads as a median can still be wrong for your specific situation. Treat everything here as a starting point for your own research — not a guaranteed price.
Not professional advice
Nothing on this site is relocation, financial, tax, immigration, legal, or investment advice. It is general information for readers planning a move or curious about Chinese cities. Before making a decision that depends on these numbers — signing a lease, accepting a job offer, or relocating — verify the figures independently and, where it matters, consult a qualified professional.
Not a representative survey
These notes are written from one person's perspective, based on public data and limited personal experience. They do not claim to represent all residents, all foreigners, all income levels, or all lifestyles in any city. Your costs, your experience, and your conclusions may differ significantly from what is described here. That is expected.
Limitations of the data
I gather and organize publicly available information; I do not generate original data or conduct door-to-door surveys. Sources sometimes disagree, data ages, and local conditions change faster than any single writer can track. Where I am aware a number is soft, disputed, or out of date, I say so. Where I get something wrong, corrections are welcome on the contact page.
External links
The site links to outside sources and tools. I am not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of external sites, and a link is not an endorsement.
Your decision
A city is more than its cost, and the final decision about where to live always belongs to the person who has to live there.